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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238678">Like Real People Do</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wirewrappedlily/pseuds/wirewrappedlily'>wirewrappedlily</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Lightwood Divorce, Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Author is a madwoman, Blow Jobs, Bottom Magnus Bane, Dating, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Hand Jobs, Jace is still adopted, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Tags to be updated as we go, Top Alec Lightwood, Warlock reveal, are there jokes to be made about blood being the fluid of life and sex consisting of little deaths?, don't ask just read it, hybrid sex and blood magic, sex in chapter 6, taking some liberties with Asmodeus being the demon of lust, yes because this is me and i am lame</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:48:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238678</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wirewrappedlily/pseuds/wirewrappedlily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Magnus Bane?" The voice of the event planner that had vouched for him was at once the one thing Magnus wanted to listen to for the rest of his immortal life, and the last thing he needed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alternate Clary Fray/Alternate Jace Wayland (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Magnus Bane/Alternate Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Alternate Simon Lewis/Alternate Isabelle Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted), Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Favorite Malec Stories</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just ignore the obviousness of how I have barely dated ever in my life, please.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Getting Clary Fray back to her own reality left Magnus Bane in the middle of a party he was not invited to, buzzing with the powers he'd long-buried, and desperately pushing at his power's limits in order to erase the memories of this world's Clary and her boyfriend. </p><p>It was simultaneously the biggest high and the largest drag Magnus had experienced in a very long time. Nearly drunk with it, Magnus stumbled away from Clary and her boyfriend before they could catch sight of him; hoping that he could make his way to the exit and get himself home without <i>another</i> thing cropping up. He'd lived the quiet life for so long, he'd forgotten just how much a life of adventure cost. </p><p>"Magnus Bane?" The voice of the event planner that had vouched for him was at once the one thing Magnus wanted to listen to for the rest of his immortal life, and the last thing he needed. </p><p>"Uh--Mr. Lightwood, hello." Magnus was not used to having to look <i>up</i> to speak to someone, and there was something about the way Alec Lightwood carried himself that made Magnus feel at once vulnerable and protected. </p><p>"Are you alright?" Alec's concerned expression was coupled with a large hand taking Magnus's elbow gently, steadying when Magnus realized he'd swayed more than a little in having stopped to speak with the man. </p><p>"I...I'm just tired, sorry." </p><p>Alec was visibly unsatisfied with that answer, "I had a friend when I was a kid that was prone to low blood sugar. You look about how she used to before she'd pass out. For my peace of mind, would you sit for a minute, have something to eat or drink, and let me call you a cab?" </p><p>The warmth of Alec's huge hand made Magnus feel as starved for affection as he truly was, and the kind way the offer was made had Magnus agreeing to it before he could think better of taking any more time in getting himself the hell out of here. </p><p>Alec led him towards a grouping of low couches, picking up another of those tiny teacups he'd handed Magnus earlier, and asking something of the server he got it from. She nodded, casting a glance at Magnus quickly before heading to the refreshments table, and when she appeared with a small plate of sugary treats a moment later, Magnus was a little bit in awe. </p><p>"I...Thank you." Magnus inwardly winced, his voice betraying just how deeply the care was touching him. Alec sat next to him, a tiny smile playing at his lips before he gestured for Magnus to eat. "You're probably right about the low blood sugar." </p><p>"I'm glad I caught you, then." </p><p>Magnus drank the punch in the tiny cup first, knowing that the energy the food would give him would help settle him slightly, but also praying that the nausea the mix of drained and buzzing brought out for him wouldn't mean that he'd end up getting sick. </p><p>"It wouldn't do to have a guest pass out on my watch, and I was hoping that I'd see you again." </p><p>Alec's easy admission brought heat to Magnus's cheeks, and he found himself smiling back at Alec, more entranced than he would ever have liked. "I'm sorry for abandoning you earlier, especially after you vouched for me." </p><p>"From the look on your face, I'd hazard a guess that whatever you had to run off to do was not something you wanted to." Magnus very sternly told himself that Alec didn't sound fond. </p><p>"You're right about that." Magnus couldn't think of anything plausible for why he would have crashed this party, run from the incredibly handsome man who'd gotten him into it, then appeared looking as rough as he knew he must, but Alec didn't press. </p><p>"Well, I have a duty to make sure that the people attending my parties have at least one good memory to leave with." </p><p>"If I wasn't really on the list, then I can't count against your reputation." Magnus reasoned, and Alec's features oscillated between looking grumpy at that turn of logic, and looking playful. </p><p>"Are you feeling any better?" Alec asked after a moment, and Magnus realized the plate of sweets was empty. </p><p>"I--I am. Much, thank you. And...I think you've already fulfilled your duty when it comes to me, Alexander. It's been a long time since someone I don't know cared enough to make sure I'd get home alright." </p><p>Alec let out a low hum, and Magnus knew logically that he shouldn't have been able to hear it over the music of the party; knew that he was too focused on the man next to him, but also, in a moment of pure selfishness, wanted to be able to lay down his defenses and <i>be there</i>. "I would really like to get to know you, Magnus." A teasing smile played at Alec's mouth, "I'd like to take you on a date--Hell, I think I'd already like to take you on several dates. Would you have any interest in that?" </p><p>The starkly direct approach was probably the only one that wouldn't allow Magnus to wriggle his way out of the very real desire he had to see Alec Lightwood again. If Alec had played coy with him; had taken the route to simply flirt and ask for one date, Magnus would have been able to parlay that into giving only one night, with no expectation of more, and cutting Alec off before the reality that Alec inevitably wouldn't want more would have time to be slapped in his face. And while it didn't mean at all that Alec would ultimately want more than one date, or one night, not by any means, and Magnus clung to that knowledge...hope, as painful as it was, was a very hard thing to kill. "I'd like that, Alexander. Very much." </p><p>Alec offered his phone, a contact page already pulled up, and his name filled out in it, with a golden heart emoji. Magnus felt his cheeks heat again as he typed in his phone number, and when he offered it back to Alec, there was a flash of disapproval on Alec's face before his fingers flew over the screen, and Magnus's own phone went off in his pocket. "There, now you have my number, too." Alec murmured, smirking slightly as he tucked his phone away. "Can I get you something more to eat or drink?" </p><p>"No," Magnus breathed, "no, thank you. I should probably get going anyway...and you should get back to..." Magnus gestured at the party. </p><p>"Oh, my part's done until the end of the night. But let me call you that cab I promised, and wait with you for it?" </p><p>Magnus found himself smiling; couldn't think of the last time he'd smiled so honestly, so openly, and knew he should be afraid. "That would be wonderful. Thank you." </p><p>~</p><p>Magnus had not properly dated anyone for a very long time. </p><p>And the word "proper" was every inch the unfolding courtship between himself and Alec Lightwood. </p><p>Alec's insistence that Magnus text him once he'd arrived safely home had been put forth with such earnest intensity that it had actually sent Magnus's heart racing in his chest as he'd settled into the cab. </p><p>And Alec did not play by the supposed "rules" of modern dating: He texted Magnus the morning after the party to make sure he was okay, and had recovered from the supposed low blood-sugar; with no pretense at trying to play it cool, he then continued to flirt with him via text in the days that followed. The charm of it was novel, if only because Magnus would have assumed that Alec was always just a little bit suave in his conquests. It was almost enough to get Magnus to hope he would be more than a conquest, but that was too much to ask for. </p><p>
  <b>[9:28AM] Save me from morning people.</b>
</p><p>Magnus snorted at the text as he pushed into his shop two days after the party, feeling more familiar with Alec than he had with anyone in a very long time. </p><p>
  <i>
    <b>[9:29AM] What is the caffeine situation?</b>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <b>[9:29AM] Dismal. I forgot I ran out yesterday. :(</b>
</p><p>Magnus shook his head, biting his lip. <b><i>[9:30AM] I may know a place. When are you free from the morning people?</i></b></p><p>
  <b>[9:31AM] In a half hour. Are you asking me on a coffee date, Mr. Bane?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>[9:32AM] I do believe I am, Mr. Lightwood.</i>
  </b>
</p><p>The reticence that Magnus had been trying very hard to nurture within himself about going out on a date with Alec withered and died at the giddiness that flooded through Magnus as he sent Alec the name and address of the café he had in mind. </p><p>Convincing himself not to change out of the simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans he'd come down to the shop in to sort inventory, Magnus couldn't stop himself from checking, over and over, that he'd grabbed his wallet and keys before he stumbled out his door. </p><p>"Hello," Alec's voice was a purr when he arrived just minutes after Magnus had, his smile bright as he placed a single rose on the table next to Magnus's elbow, "thank you, for saving me from the morning people." </p><p>Magnus chuckled, his face heating as he gently ran his fingertips over the petals. "Happy to be of service." </p><p>Alec insisted on ordering and paying for their coffees, returning with a plate of pastry as well, which he set in front of Magnus with a flourish. Alec sat across from him, gaze all too admiring, "I hope I'm not pulling you away..." </p><p>"Just inventory." Magnus waved the concern away, happy that Alec had not seen any of his terrible commercials, and was only aware instead of the curiosity shop that was largely more an antique store than anything else, "You actually caught me at just the right time; an hour more, and I would have been covered in dust, cobwebs, and more than likely quite a bit of wood polish." </p><p>Alec grinned widely, leaning forward on crossed arms. "I like antiques--well, the stories behind antiques. I have to confess, I can't bring myself to own any, simply because I watched one too many horror movies as a kid." </p><p>Magnus wrinkled his nose in agreement, "Better to get your own curses attached to your belongings than bring something new into the mix." </p><p>Alec laughed at the gentle tease, and nodded, "It's silly, I know, but I can't help but be a little bit superstitious about it." </p><p>"It's not silly." Magnus told him softly. Before magic had largely fled, cursed objects weren't uncommon, and it felt somehow very good to meet a mundane who didn't discount the hocus pocus that Magnus came from just off the bat. "I've always believed there are reasons for stories, Alexander." </p><p>Alec's gaze turned soft, fond, "I like that. Reasons for stories...it'd make sense."</p><p>"I will tell you, though, that I personally own quite a few antiques...But I also know exactly where they all came from, and that none of them come with curses or ghosts attached." </p><p>Alec grinned, "Yeah, I think that might be the way to get me around that superstition." </p><p>"I have some very good sources for some guaranteed curse-free antiquities, if you ever want to...dabble." </p><p>"I will admit, even though it's probably slightly shameful to a connoisseur such as yourself, that at the moment, my apartment is entirely IKEA-utilitarian. As much as I would like to dabble, I do not have the space for it." </p><p>Magnus was leaned towards him, but at this, he shifted back slightly, throwing a hand over his chest in mock injury, "You're implying I am a furniture snob, Alexander, for shame. No, IKEA has its place in my books, and the only line I draw with it is trying to dis-assemble and re-assemble the damn things if you move and want to take them with you. Initial assembly is bad enough. Trying to do that shit after you've taken it apart and probably lost some of the pieces and all of the instructions is just plain craziness." </p><p>Alec nodded emphatically, "I had a bunch of friends over to try to help assemble my apartment. We all at some point or another nearly lost a limb. And I will never get the image of my sister brandishing a drill out of my head." </p><p>Magnus snorted into laughter, "I may be an only child, but I rather feel like that would be the point. Get the image in your brain to use later?" </p><p>"You're probably right. Next time I ask her to cover for me at family dinner, she'll get that look in her eyes again." Alec laughed. </p><p>Alec's laugh was a thing of beauty that Magnus knew could never be captured. Alec was put-together and suave, his features open but always with an edge of teasing--but when he laughed, it was like he lit up from within, and all artifice fell. Magnus sat back and let himself bask, just a little, in the sight and sound of it. </p><p>Alec's phone went off, and Magnus bit back any disappointment when Alec winced an apology and checked it. "I left my best friend in my kitchen trying to figure out how to make his boyfriend soufflé." </p><p>Magnus burst out laughing, couldn't help it, "If I were in your shoes, I would not even be here, I would have blown me off and gone home. Check all you need to." </p><p>Alec gasped as if he were scandalized. "Blow off someone like you, Magnus Bane? Never. I'd rather come home to my whole block burned down than pass up a chance to see you again." </p><p>Magnus blushed furiously, ducking his gaze from Alec's and inevitably landing on the rose. </p><p>"I have to apologize for the cliché," Alexander murmured, smiling self-deprecatingly, "I was taking a client on a pilgrimage to flower markets and flower shops today looking for design ideas. I got a little...over-excited, when you asked." </p><p>"Don't apologize, Alexander. It's rare that I've had someone care to bring me flowers on a date." </p><p>Alec's brows lifted, his features looking disapproving, "That is an absolute travesty." </p><p>Magnus gave a small smile, blushing still. </p><p>"Are you busy?" Alec asked softly, "Or can I convince you to spend the day with me?" </p><p>A flood of pleasure spread through Magnus, and he tried desperately not to show it. "What did you have in mind?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnus's magic had been harder to control, since he'd helped Clary cross back over. To the point where he was simply thankful that he hadn't been caught out for it yet; by Alec or anyone else. </p><p>Focusing hard, Magnus felt his glamour drop as he summoned a ball of magic into his palm, trying to practice the meditative control techniques that he'd been taught. Standing shirtless in his loft, Magnus began to move through the Tai Chi-esque motions of the exercise of control he'd learned long ago, and had fallen out of practice doing, with his power safely buried. </p><p>Since their first date, Alec and he had gone out on five more; Alec taking him to makeshift restaurants of the best caterers in the city, or bringing him to street art exhibitions, or strange and admittedly wonderful little-known places to have fun in the city. Alec was so deeply steeped in the culture and scene of the city that Magnus had to wonder, more often than not, what the hell Alec was doing with him. </p><p>The cold clutch of insecurity that thought sent through Magnus had his grip on the power sparking between his fingers slip, just for the barest of moments, and Magnus reprimanded himself for it viciously. </p><p>In order to re-bury his power, Magnus knew, he had to remember how to properly control it. </p><p>But the idea of burying it again...</p><p>He'd quite liked the feeling of usefulness he'd had in helping Clary. He had a lot of doubt that he'd get another chance to do something useful again, but at the same time, he had missed his magic like a limb, and the temptation to keep it was nearly a physical pain. </p><p>There were ways he could use his magic, Magnus reflected; some warlocks made a tidy life for themselves, offering help to others. There wasn't much call for magic in this world, not really, but Magnus was trying valiantly to justify it anyway. </p><p>Magnus's phone beeped--and he was over four-hundred years old, but had actually personalized Alec's number to come through with specific text- and ring-tones. Much to Magnus's abject disappointment in himself, the knowledge that Alec had texted him had him lose his grip on the power entirely, and it flung into the wall opposite him; thankfully too weak to do much damage, but leaving a smudge of soot in its wake. </p><p>Sighing, Magnus wandered over to his phone, surprised by the sheen of sweat that he'd worked up under what had once been a mere warm-up for him. </p><p>
  <b>[4:27PM] I just ordered sixteen pounds of edible paint and glitter for a birthday party. I don't know what to do with this knowledge, but I can't be the only one to carry it.</b>
</p><p>Magnus's eyes went wide, and he guffawed into a giggle fit. <i><b>[4:28PM] Clearly I got you to vouch for me into the wrong party.</b></i></p><p>
  <b>[4:28PM] Do not tempt me into conveniently misplacing a portion of body glitter for my personal gratification of getting to see you wearing it.</b>
</p><p>Magnus had not felt this giddy in centuries, and the snap decision that had him holding out his phone to take a selfie of himself shirtless, hair ruffled, and lightly sweating then sending that photo to Alec was something that made him question what the hell was coming over him. </p><p>The trio of dancing dots indicating a message being written came up, then disappeared, then came up again, only for a photo to be sent before the next text came through. Alec was glaring into the camera, eyes bright and ears pink at the tips. <b>[4:31PM] Not fair. As if it's not hard enough not to drag you to bed already, Mr. Bane.</b></p><p>
  <i>
    <b>[4:32PM] You could just drag me to bed, though, Mr. Lightwood.</b>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <b>[4:33PM] I intend on keeping you, so not yet I can't.</b>
</p><p>In the light fixture above him, the lightbulbs exploded with the intensity of his emotions in reaction to that. <i><b>[4:35PM] Now who's not playing fair?</b></i> </p><p>Alec sent only a wink in response, and Magnus sighed, waving his hand at the light-fixture to replace the bulbs. </p><p>"And he accuses <i>me</i> of playing hard to get!" </p><p>~</p><p>"You," Alec's purr shuddered down Magnus's spine, his breath tingling over Magnus's ear and trailed chills over the back of his neck, "look amazing." </p><p>Magnus turned to his boyfriend, tipping his head back when he found Alec so close that it was the matter of a small shift to be leaning into him. "You're one to talk." Magnus murmured, his fingertips lightly brushing along the line of buttons on Alec's shirt until it disappeared into the proper suit-vest.</p><p>Alec licked his lips, twitching towards a smile. "Do you want to dance?" Alec offered, casting his eyes on the dancefloor of the club. </p><p>Swing music was being played live more credibly than Magnus would have thought possible, and Magnus had done something of a double-take, learning that it was a regular charity event to have a '40s-themed dance in one of Alec's collection of lesser-known clubs and walking in to a scene straight from the past. </p><p>Magnus was wearing the leftovers he'd had in his wardrobe from the time, and in his opinion, he looked more like Jimmy Olsen than he did anything else. Alec looked every inch the dapper heartbreaker, and as his long fingers smoothed imaginary wrinkles along Magnus's sweater vest, the dark glint in Alec's eyes sent Magnus vibrating to the atomic level. </p><p>"Do you know how to swing dance, Alexander?" Magnus asked, the challenge only slightly undercut by the lust dripping from his voice and colour burning high in his cheeks. </p><p>Alec's eyes flashed, a smirk pulling at his mouth, "Not only do I know how to dance, Magnus; I've spent enough time in the gym to dance with you <i>properly</i>, if you're up for it." </p><p>Alec was strong. Magnus knew this. Had seen this. But the context of Alec's strength combined with the insinuation that Alec would be able to use that strength to toss him around in a proper swing dance made Magnus's brain short-circuit. "You...are going to be the death of me." </p><p>The smirk widened, and Alec leant impossibly closer, his lips just a breath away from Magnus's, his fingers bunched under the collar of the button-up beneath Magnus's sweater vest, "You're not allowed to drop dead yet, darling. There is a long list of things I want to do with you and to you first."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnus had to wrack his brain to try to think of a time he'd ever felt this happy before. </p><p>Catching himself daydreaming a montage of their kisses and the sexually-charged chicken that had Magnus more desperate than he'd been when he was fully single; Magnus managed to scare himself as, in twitching himself out of it, he sent a spark of magic pinging into the lamp on the end of his desk, knocking the shade askew, but thankfully not damaging the lamp itself. </p><p>Between the surprising depth of the feelings Magnus was developing for Alec, and the agitation of his magic, Magnus knew that the next step they were leading up to had to be coming clean about what Magnus was, before he could risk his magic outting itself when Alec <i>finally</i>d took him to bed. </p><p>There was a sneaking suspicion Magnus had, that Alec was playing against the usual rules of dating because he could tell that Magnus would have tried very hard to stop himself from having anything more than a night of fun if he didn't take measures to get Magnus to catch feelings first. It was a deal Magnus had made with himself; that he wouldn't allow himself to get close to anyone, because he knew that, inevitably, they would leave. </p><p>Bringing himself to face the box that held his collection of mementos of past loves, Magnus made a last-ditch attempt to try to steel himself against the adoration he was quickly falling into. </p><p>His immortality was low on the list of reasons why he knew Alec would eventually leave; but it was the most effective one. There was no way for him to change it; and even if Alec wanted to stay with him; even if, against all odds, Alec felt as deeply for him as Magnus did for Alec, then there would come a time when Magnus would once again be heartbroken and alone. </p><p>Magnus's phone rang the familiar ringtone; a picture of Alec flashing up on the screen. "Hey," Magnus answered. </p><p>
  <i>"Hey. I was wondering...instead of the reservations, would you be at all interested in staying in tonight?"</i>
</p><p>There was something in Alec's tone; a note of tiredness that immediately had Magnus agreeing. "Absolutely. Would you like to come here, or I can go to your place? I can order--" </p><p><i>"Would it be alright for me to come to yours and cook? I had a bit of a day, and I really want to see you, but cooking is also how I usually shut off..."</i> </p><p>"Of course, Alexander," Magnus murmured, "are you sure you want to schlep all the way here, though?" </p><p>They hadn't yet actually spent much time in each other's apartments: Alec would deliver Magnus home with a chaste kiss on most every date, and Magnus had gone to Alec's to pick him up after work whenever their plans for the night were in his side of the city; but they hadn't actually taken a night in for all the time they'd been dating. </p><p><i>"I'm actually not far from your place right now, so no schlep needed."</i> Alec's voice was tinged now with fond amusement more than fatigue, and Magnus smiled to himself, casting his gaze over his apartment to make sure everything would be in order for a date. <i>"I have something of a hankering for Italian. Would you object to filling your apartment with garlic smells?"</i> </p><p>"Never." Magnus chuckled, "Anyone who would complain about being cooked for should be kicked in the knee." </p><p>Alec laughed, <i>"Tell that to my mother."</i> </p><p>Magnus went down to the lobby when Alec texted his arrival, reaching to take the bag Alec carried only to be warded off with a playful scowl. </p><p>"You had a day. Let me do some work tonight." Magnus huffed. </p><p>"You're going to do some work tonight. You're going to sit and have a glass of wine and tell me the most crazy true story you can think of." Alec told him, leaning in to steal a kiss. </p><p>Conducting them upstairs and into the loft, Magnus took a careful look at Alec. He was dressed for work, but Magnus could see a drawn quality to his features and a tightness to his eyes. Magnus took a step around Alec in his kitchen, letting out a breath of magic as he did in hopes of healing the headache clear in Alec's demeanour. Grabbing two wine glasses, Magnus only moderately startled as Alec turned suddenly and caught his wrist, taking each of the glasses from his hands and setting them deliberately aside before twisting back to gently pull Magnus closer, sliding a thumb over the cut of Magnus's jaw before he urged him slowly into a proper hello kiss that Magnus could feel in his toes. </p><p>"Thank you." Alec murmured a little roughly when they finally parted, his lips quirking as he stole another fleeting kiss from Magnus's mouth, then shifted to press a treasuring smooch to his forehead and hugged him tight for a moment, "I needed that." </p><p>Magnus swallowed heavily, fighting to uncurl his fingers from the clutching grip he had on Alec's shirt, "Any time." </p><p>"Be careful," Alec warned, voice deep and serious and completely belied by the playful glint in his eyes, "I will take you up on that." </p><p>Magnus huffed a laugh, shaking his head fondly. He grabbed up the glasses, wandering towards his wine collection with idle consideration of whether he could be expected to handle Alec learning the truth about him tonight, or if he really had enough of a handle on his powers to be able to hide them just to delay the inevitable just a little more.</p><p>"How was your day at work?" Alec asked, hunting through Magnus's pots and pans once Magnus had indicated where they were kept. "That bachelorette party was today, wasn't it?" </p><p>"It was." Magnus chuckled, "I'm just glad I got the PG-13 luncheon, not the wild night of revelry. Lots of 'you will meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger, and it will turn out he's dating me'." </p><p>Alec snorted, shooting Magnus a look as he accepted the glass of red Magnus handed him. "I thought the bachelorette luncheon was for the aged aunt and her crew." </p><p>"It was. And none of the twenty-somethings realized that said aged-aunt had a dirtier mind and mouth than all of them combined. I nearly snorted her contraband whiskey out of my nose because she had me laughing so hard while she had me pretend to read her palm." </p><p>Alec laughed, pulling supplies from the bag of groceries before pausing, his gaze snapping up to Magnus with an edge of nerves Magnus didn't like at all. "I wanted to make scallops--" </p><p>"I love scallops." Magnus murmured warmly, leaning in to kiss the frowning corner of Alec's mouth. </p><p>"I didn't think...the smell--" </p><p>"Alexander, seafood is too delicious not to indulge in; I don't mind. The only food smell I can't take is burnt popcorn. I once made a deal with myself that I'd move if I ever burnt popcorn in an apartment of mine, because it will not go away." </p><p>Alec chuckled, shaking his head, "Max  burnt a bag of popcorn so badly last month that the fire alarms went off. Isabelle burned through four candles, a pack of incense, and had me try to out-smell the smell of it by making garlic chicken, and it still sometimes smells like burnt popcorn." </p><p>"So, scallops...what else are you making?" Magnus asked teasingly, batting his eyelashes, leant against the counter with his chin on his hand. </p><p>"Not telling." Alec teased back, "But I need a cutting board, a knife, and a cheese grater." </p><p>Hidden by the counter, Magnus flicked his fingers, making sure that each of those things were there waiting. </p><p>"So, did you foresee a long and happy marriage?" Alec asked as he deftly sliced up prepared artichoke hearts a minute later. </p><p>Magnus wrinkled his nose, "I don't know. She's...incredibly young. And I don't simply mean her age. She's clever, but..." </p><p>"Not wise?" Alec offered when Magnus trailed off. </p><p>"It sounds awful, I know, but--" </p><p>"No. Say what you think, Magnus. I won't judge you for it." Alec assured, a small smile pulling at his mouth. </p><p>Magnus sighed thankfully, and then shrugged when Alec lifted his brows, "Call me old-fashioned, but I don't believe that marriage is a thing that should be treated like it can be easily enough undone." </p><p>Alec grinned, "I feel the same way." Alec winced slightly, shaking his head, "My mentor told me to lean heavily towards event planning, not wedding planning, as much as I possibly could; because she'd seen happy relationships fall apart under the weight of a wedding, just as much as she'd organized weddings that fell apart within months because they didn't know each other well enough." </p><p>Magnus nodded his understanding, the scenario all too easy to imagine, because it had happened countless times. "To being old-fashioned, then." Magnus toasted as Alec reached from peeling the garlic to take another sip of wine, and Alec grinned as he clinked their glasses together. "Now, you named the price for my dinner to be the most ridiculous true story I can think of, correct?" </p><p>"Yes." Alec agreed, then stopped and narrowed his eyes accusingly, "You're going to tell me a true story about something that has nothing to do with you, aren't you?" </p><p>"If you're going to be naming prices, Alexander, you have to be <i>specific</i>," Magnus laughed.</p><p>"I'll tell you my most ridiculous true story if you tell me yours." Alec coaxed, cocking a brow and smirking as he leant a hip on the counter, pausing his prep to impress the seriousness of these negotiations. </p><p>Magnus hummed, considering very carefully as he took another sip of wine. "I have a caveat," Magnus hated himself for it; the cold clunk of dread settling into his stomach taking a lot of the shine off of the evening, "there's something I need to tell you first. Some context that you should have..." </p><p>"But it's not an over-prep conversation." Alec surmised, concern clouding his features. "Magnus, you don't have to--" </p><p>"I do have to. It's something you need to know and it's been getting too close to being the time to tell you anyway." Magnus set down his wine, and Alec crossed over to him, catching his hand. </p><p>"Hey," Alec murmured, catching Magnus's chin and bringing his eyes to look at Alec directly; and it was only then that Magnus realized he hadn't been able to look at Alec properly, "unless you're about to tell me you have a wife and kids, I'm not walking away from you." </p><p>Magnus snorted, "No. I've never been married; never found anyone I wanted to be married to." Alec knit their fingers together, and Magnus took a deep breath, tugging Alec towards the nearest couch. "Big bit first...Alexander...did your grandfather Lightwood ever tell you anything about Shadowhunting?" </p><p>Alec's mouth twitched upwards, "You're a warlock, aren't you?" </p><p>Magnus felt like he'd just managed to miss about a staircase worth of steps. "H--?" At most, Magnus would have thought that the old man would have told his grandchildren stories of the past, but Alec didn't look like he thought they were stories at all, not a hint of doubt or even any surprise on his face. </p><p>"My friend, Andrew, the soufflé maker in training? He's dating a warlock named Lorenzo Rey. Has been for years." Alec shrugged, taking both of Magnus's hands and cradling them between his, "Granddad started to...he started to insist the stories weren't just stories, just before he was diagnosed with dementia. Showed me his secret stash of books about all of it. There wasn't much about warlock culture...When Lorenzo told Andrew and Andrew started freaking out, I stepped in with what little I knew. Lorenzo agreed to try to help me sift through some of it, give me context on the...the Nephilim history I was reading, with the warlock perspective. Lorenzo told me that warlock marks can be barely noticeable...but your eyes flash gold sometimes. The first couple, I thought I was imagining it. But--but that's your mark, isn't it?" </p><p>Magnus let out a slip of air, dropping his glamour, and Alec's eyes widened in awe, but he didn't flinch or run. </p><p>Licking his lips, Alec smiled, reaching one hand to cup Magnus's cheek and letting his thumb trace along the arch of Magnus's cheekbone, just beneath his eye. "They're beautiful, Magnus. Fuck, you're so beautiful." Alec tugged him in gently, kissing him slow and leading. </p><p>Magnus swallowed heavily and leant his cheek into Alec's touch when they parted, closing his eyes for the next bit. "You know that...warlocks don't--we stop ageing at some point?" </p><p>Alec hummed his agreement. </p><p>"I'm over four-hundred years old..." Magnus ducked his gaze, blushing slightly, "though I don't have an exact number to give you." </p><p>Alec chuckled, "So when I ask for your most-ridiculous story...you have a lot to pull from. Also, I was going to ask, because as a good boyfriend I do need to know when your birthday is. But I'm guessing you don't have a date for that?" </p><p>Magnus shook his head, slightly stunned at the implication that he intended to remain Magnus's boyfriend. </p><p>"Are you okay?" Alec asked gently.</p><p>"You're not...scare of me? You don't even seem surprised?" </p><p>Alec sighed, shrugging again. "Not scared of you. Just very happy you made it here to me. And I'm...I'm not surprised. You're too good to be true in the magicless world I grew up knowing. I knew that already." </p><p>Their next kiss was soft and teasing, something almost lazy as Alec's fingers traced into Magnus's hair, the tug of them gentle but firm, keeping Magnus's lips where they were meant to be. </p><p>"I should finish making dinner." Alec mumbled, not moving an inch to follow through. Magnus huffed a laugh, pulling back enough to meet Alec's eye. Alec frowned, brushing a touch over the corner of Magnus's eye, and Magnus realized that his glamour had fallen back into place. </p><p>"It's a habit..."</p><p>Alec hummed, "That's fine. I just don't want you to ever feel like you need to hide from me." </p><p>Magnus eased the pull of magic that kept his eyes constantly hidden; something he hadn't done, even alone in his own home, for centuries. The magic ached like an over-exerted muscle, and Alec smiled into another kiss. "I'm an open book. What would you like to know?" </p><p>Returning to the kitchen, Alec grinned as Magnus slid into a stool on the other side of the island, watching him work. "Do you have a tradition to celebrate your birthday?" </p><p>"No. It's...I don't care? I might have once, but...it wasn't worth it, to be disappointed or sad that I didn't. Why? Is your birthday coming up?" </p><p>"September." Alec shook his head. "And...I want, very badly, to do this right. I like you far more than I've ever liked anyone else. I want to make damn sure that I show you just how much I want to be yours." </p><p>Magnus shook his head, "You're sticking around after finding out I'm four-hundred years old, have cat's eyes, and can wield magic. If you didn't want to be here, Alexander, I think I've given you more than enough excuses to leave." </p><p>"None of that is an excuse to leave. You didn't choose when or how you were born, Magnus. That's not something to ever be held against you." </p><p>"You are a constant surprise, Alexander. The best one." </p><p>Once the actual cooking began, it went very quickly, and as they sat at the dining table, Magnus marveled over the man next to him. </p><p>The noise Magnus made at his first bite was inhuman, and Alec blushed slightly, but smirked, tucking into his own. Silence stretched for long minutes; the spinach, artichoke, and asiago cheese alfredo-like sauce rich and filling to the point where Magnus felt like he was practically glowing between the wine and the food, and when he was close to the end, Magnus sat back slightly to look at Alec. "You said you wanted to learn warlock culture, correct?" </p><p>Alec swallowed his sip of wine, nodding, and took Magnus's hand where it rested on the table. </p><p>"My library is yours, then, Alexander. Any questions you have, I'll answer to the best of my ability. You...are so much more than anyone I've ever met, and your wanting to know me is an honour." </p><p>Alec's eyes lit up, and he picked up Magnus's hand, kissing the back of it. "Thank you, Magnus." </p><p>~</p><p>The next morning, light cut through Magnus's apartment; the direction it was hitting him told Magnus he had not fallen asleep in his bed. </p><p>A shadow moved between Magnus and the light, and Magnus didn't get his eyes open in time to see Alec duck down and kiss his forehead, long fingers brushing over his cheek with Magnus's answering smile. "We fell asleep, huh?" </p><p>"We did," Alec answered warmly, ducking in again to kiss Magnus properly, "coffee's on the table. I have to go to work." </p><p>Magnus pouted, prying his eyes open and basking in the smile Alec had for him; his hair improbably perfect considering they'd slept on couches. "I keep thinking you're just a good dream." </p><p>Alec chuckled, shaking his head with a rueful look as if he couldn't believe he was urging Magnus into another, deeper kiss. "As much as I want to offer to stay until you've properly woken up and know I'm not just a good dream, I have to go. But I would like to see you tonight." </p><p>"So you can read more?" Alec was voracious for knowledge, and the only thing keeping Magnus from letting Alec take some of his books with him was the usual traffic of Alec's friends and family that went through Alec's apartment. </p><p>"As much as I love reading, and I really, really do, I was more angling to come over and make out like teenagers." </p><p>Magnus grinned, "I like that plan better. Alright, go. Abandon me." </p><p>Alec barked a laugh, shaking his head as Magnus refused to move from the couch. Magnus's eyes were still mostly closed, so he was more than a little confused when Alec shrugged his jacket back off with a dramatic sigh. </p><p>The girlish shriek of shock that came out of Magnus as Alec lifted him bridal-style into his arms and carried him towards the bedroom was loud enough that Magnus obliquely hoped his neighbours were already awake and preferably already gone for the day. </p><p>Alec laid him in bed with a wicked little smirk, tucking him in, "There. Now I don't feel so bad about abandoning you." </p><p>With one last kiss to Magnus's forehead, Alec was out of the bedroom, swinging into his jacket and out of the door. Still in shock, Magnus debated for all of ten seconds between actually pulling himself out of bed and just wallowing in unresolved arousal. </p><p>Wallowing won.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two weeks later, Magnus was restraining himself from checking his phone again. It had been almost two days from the last time Magnus had heard from Alec, and Magnus had begun to worry at the break in their normal pattern. </p><p>Alec had been...off, the last time they spoke. He was stressed to the point of feeling like he had to isolate himself lest he fall into taking his frustration out on those around him. He'd explained this to Magnus days before, but when Magnus had challenged the idea that he would not immediately call Alec out on that kind of behaviour, Alec had smiled, and let himself let go of some of the weight he was carrying to have another quiet night in with Magnus. </p><p>The dots of a pending text came up as Magnus worriedly opened his message thread with Alec to see if there had been something that could have finally driven him off, but then they disappeared, and the phone rang instead. </p><p>"Hey..." Magnus murmured, failing utterly to keep from sounding concerned. </p><p><i>"Hey. Sorry..."</i> Magnus winced hard at the way Alec sounded. <i>"'M too sick to focus my eyes to text."</i> </p><p>"Oof." Magnus groaned, "Give me...fifteen minutes, and I'll come bearing food and medicine. You're at your apartment?" </p><p><i>"Magnus, you don't have to. I am honestly disgusting--"</i> </p><p>"Alexander, are you trying to tell me you're the type of usually freakishly-healthy person to have on-hand things one would need for that rare man-cold? Really?" </p><p>Alec laughed, but it turned into a fit of coughs so wracking Magnus felt it in his own chest. <i>"I don't want to get you sick, either."</i> Alec mumbled finally. <i>"Jus' wanted..."</i> Alec trailed off, not knowing quite what it was he wanted, Magnus suspected. </p><p>"There are very few things warlocks can catch, and I want to take care of you. I don't want you to be alone."</p><p>Alec's breath caught, and Magnus knew enough about Alec's childhood to know that though it'd been largely happy, his parents were often too wrapped up in each other to take much care of their children. </p><p>"Are you okay with that?" </p><p>Alec audibly swallowed, and Magnus revised his list to include something that would act for sore throat, on top of congestion and fever. <i>"You shouldn't--"</i></p><p>"Alexander," Magnus purred, "how would you know I adore you if I don't take care of you?" </p><p>There was a sniffle with another thick swallow, and Magnus paused from his idle gathering, hand on the small stash of tonics he'd made in front of Alec to show him how potion-making usually worked. <i>"Thank you, Magnus. Thank you so much."</i> </p><p>It wasn't long before Magnus opened a portal into Alec's living room, loaded for bear with both magical tonics and mundane medications, and two containers of the best chicken soup in the city. </p><p>On his couch, Alec was haphazardly bundled, his eyes barely open. "Hi." Alec croaked, and Magnus barely managed to restrain a coo of sympathy. </p><p>"Hello, gorgeous." Magnus greeted warmly, setting the medicinal bag on the low coffee table in front of the couch, moving to the kitchen to set the soup aside for a moment. Magnus returned to Alec, gently tugging the bunched and slightly knotted blankets out from around Alec to smooth them properly into place, passing a practiced hand over Alec's forehead and letting a flash of magic leave his palm, clearing away the clammy sweat from his skin and clothes. Alec let out a small mew of thanks, looking up at Magnus as if he wasn't sure he wasn't hallucinating, and Magnus pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Unfortunately, because they evolve so quickly, magic largely can't heal sickness like this completely. If you had appendicitis, we could talk, but the usual bugs are too broad and too changing." </p><p>Alec hummed, "I know. You annotated a rant into the margins of the potion recipe for magical cough medicine." </p><p>Magnus chuckled, pouring a measure of that very same potion out onto one of Alec's spoons and urging him far enough upright to administer it. The moue of disgust that stole over Alec face had Magnus giggling slightly, and Alec made a valiant attempt at a scowl. </p><p>"I like your laugh." Alec sighed resignedly, settling back down after swallowing the ridiculously large cold and flu pills Magnus handed him, along with a half a bottle of water. </p><p>"I like your laugh, too, Alec." Magnus answered sweetly, "Food?" </p><p>Alec pulled another expression of disgust, and Magnus nodded once. </p><p>"I'll be right back." Magnus murmured, brushing his palm across Alec's cheek with a fond look before he pulled himself away. </p><p>Alec's bed was disheveled, the water glass beside it dry as a bone. Magnus didn't need to confirm his suspicion that Alec had likely spent most of those two days he was radio-silent unconscious. With an ease he'd never thought he'd have again, Magnus snapped his fingers to change Alec's sheets and make the bed. The water glass refilled without so much as a thought from Magnus, and he pulled a small nebulizer and some oils from the bag of tricks; setting Alec up with a special blend of sage, eucalyptus, lemon, and tea tree. </p><p>Alec was more than half-unconscious when Magnus wandered back in to him, and Magnus smiled gently, brushing back some of his now-unruly hair from his forehead, coaxing his hazy eyes open. "Bed, Alexander. C'mon." Magnus helped Alec up, the shuffle towards the bed relatively easy. </p><p>"You..." Alec looked like he was near tears taking in the changed sheets, and Magnus added another piece to the puzzle of Alec Lightwood. He took care of others in the way that he wanted to be cared for; but never expected anyone to bother. Stopping Magnus at the party to make sure he got home okay; checking in with him to make sure he was recovered the next morning--Alec took care of his friends and family to the hilt, but Magnus doubted that if he were to call Isabelle, she would even realize Alec was off if he'd managed to contact her at all. </p><p>Magnus turned to Alec where he'd stalled, still blinking back tears, and leaned in to kiss his cheek softly, brushing away the wet at the corner of his eye. "Climb in. I'm going to put the soup in the fridge since we're not eating now. Shall I read to you?" </p><p>Food stored, Magnus went obediently when Alec shifted deliberately over on the bed in silent request. Magnus slid in beside him, opening his arms in offer immediately, tucking Alec's head against his shoulder and brushing gentle fingers over the back of Alec's neck. "I love you, Magnus." Alec sighed, tucking an arm tight around Magnus's waist. "I know it's soon--" </p><p>"I love you, too." Magnus interrupted gently, voice soft. "How could I not?" </p><p>Alec tightened the arm around his waist, nuzzling into Magnus's chest. Magnus threaded his fingers through Alec's hair, massaging gently at his scalp. </p><p>"Do you have work tomorrow?" </p><p>Alec hummed a chuckle, "Andrew booked me off for a week once I got irritable enough that I couldn't hide it. According to him, claiming that I'm booked solid until a later date is actually driving up the demand." </p><p>"Good move, Mr. Underhill." Magnus laughed, "Though it really sucks that you're sick on your week off. You deserve some time off to recover properly." </p><p>Alec groaned his agreement, "I'm not surprised I'm sick after that car-crash of a party." </p><p>"The planning was a car-crash. The party was a wild success." Magnus insisted. "I was actually invited to this one, remember?" </p><p>Alec smiled, his breathing beginning to even out into sleep. </p><p>They'd only realized when the invitations had gone out that Magnus was on the list of them, and Alec had joked that if Magnus could "psychically" advise the party the rest of the way without any more last-minute changes, Alec would lasciviously reward him for the trouble. </p><p>Between two of Alec's vendors refusing to work with him on the party because they'd found out that the party was a coming-out party, and the overwhelming perfectionism of the mother throwing the party for her son driving her past the point of indecisiveness, Alec had been through the wringer. The vendors were no longer on Alec's list of approved places, and he'd been furious, wondering how the hell they could claim that they hadn't known Alec was gay himself and shown their true colours before Alec had brought them any business. Magnus knew the answer to that: Alec was too big of a cash cow to put up much fuss, and working <i>with</i> a gay man was not so bad as working for one. </p><p>Magnus let himself drift, the lingering glow of joy knowing that Alec loved him, just as much as he loved Alec, driving out the worry he had that Alec had been so sick, and had been alone through it. </p><p>Alec was somewhat isolationist when it came to himself; when he was learning something new, he preferred to withdraw into it on his own as much as he could before he was comfortable asking questions of anyone else. Magnus had gathered, from the few times he'd met with Alec's friends and family, that he was rarely so serious about a relationship that they lasted as long as theirs had: Alec's mother, Maryse, had even implied that Alec had been something of a slut, and she'd doubted he was <i>capable</i> of a relationship. Alec hadn't reacted to this dig, but Magnus was still more than a little angry about it. </p><p>Alec's phone went off on the bedside table, and Alec flinched hard in Magnus's grasp, nearly waking. It was an act of contortionism that Magnus would not have thought himself capable of to reach the damn thing, declining the call from Isabelle and setting it to silent. Pulling out his own phone, Magnus typed one-handed to let Isabelle know that her brother was sick, he was there, and Alec was sleeping. </p><p>His own phone changed screens to a phone call immediately, and Magnus answered it on reflex before it actually rang. </p><p><i>"Magnus? Is Alec okay?"</i> Isabelle asked, sounding desperate and worried. </p><p>"He's using me as a teddy bear." Magnus breathed, letting only a little annoyance in his voice that she called instead of texting. "His fever is coming down, and his breathing doesn't sound too bad anymore." </p><p><i>"Gracias a Dios."</i> Isabelle breathed, <i>"He never gets sick, but it's always really bad when he does. Is there anything I can bring you guys?"</i> </p><p>"No. I only just got here myself."</p><p><i>"Shit. I should have realized sooner--"</i> Guilt dripped from Isabelle's voice, <i>"Should I come over?"</i> </p><p>"You don't need to. I'll text you if we need anything." </p><p><i>"Please, please do."</i> </p><p>"Wait..." Magnus said quickly before Isabelle could start making goodbyes, "do you know anything he likes when he's sick?" </p><p>Isabelle hummed, considering, <i>"Usually when he's sick, he can't stomach food much. It always hits in his throat the hardest. Soups? Teas? He's a terrible patient, and he never calls any of us when he's sick."</i> </p><p>Magnus let out a sound of acknowledgement, considering the way Alec had reacted to being taken care of. More likely than not, Alec was a terrible patient to Isabelle and possibly Max because he prioritized taking care of them far above taking care of himself, or letting them take care of him. Having them suddenly doing the same for him, it stood to reason, would prove difficult. They said their goodbyes, and Magnus turned his phone to silent, too, setting it with Alec's on the bedside table and settling further into Alec's hold on him. Alec mumbled slightly, stirring but not quite waking, and Magnus gave in to the compulsion to pet his fingers through Alec's hair, gratified at the groan of pleasure he got in response. </p><p>~</p><p>Alec was much improved--had probably, Magnus could admit, already been on the mend when he'd called--but the next morning, Magnus insisted that they stay in the apartment; spending most of the day wrapped up together, sipping soup or tea, and sharing space as if they'd been sharing space like this for years already. </p><p>The love in Alec's hazel eyes as Magnus got up to get them each another cup of tea drew Magnus from his mission to steal a kiss from the corner of Alec's upturned lips. "How can I keep you?" Alec asked when Magnus moved away again. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"I want to keep you for as long as you'll let me, Magnus. Tell me how to do it, please." </p><p>Magnus settled back on the couch beside Alec, the earnestness in Alec's features making Magnus's stomach do strange things. Magnus reached for Alec's hand, wrapping their fingers together. "There's nothing more to be done, Alexander. You--You want to keep me. You don't care that I'm a warlock. You didn't let me try to erase what we could become--what we <i>have</i> become by letting me drag you to bed immediately. I don't know if you were fully conscious for it last night, but I do love you, Alec. More than...more than I've ever loved anyone before."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I was wondering...do warlocks know each other? Like, do you ever go to the parties Lorenzo has for the warlock population in New York?" Alec asked, a long finger acting as bookmark as he looked over  at Magnus from across the couch. </p><p>"Mm, yes and no. When I buried my powers, I stopped being involved with those kinds of things." Magnus shrugged, pulling himself out of the order forms for the shop and blinking the dancing numbers out of his eyes. </p><p>"But your powers aren't buried anymore." </p><p>"I'm going to bury them again, once I regain control." Magnus tossed off, squeezing his eyes closed and rubbing them. </p><p>"What? Why?" Alec's voice, very subtly, changed, "I mean, it's your choice, but..." </p><p>Magnus was tired, that was the main excuse he had for the piece of truth that fell out of his mouth that he had not stumbled across while awake enough to actually consider it. "Why would I want to carry the biggest reminder of losing you I'll have?" </p><p>"What?" Alec blinked, and Magnus replayed the words in his head, but knew he couldn't deny them or erase them. </p><p>"Warlocks are immortal, Alexander. Even burying my powers won't change that. One day, I'll lose you, and I'll hate myself just a little more for it." </p><p>Alec set the book aside so desperately that it fell off the side table, landing heavily on the floor. "I...Magnus, what? No." Magnus turned to Alec properly, taking his hand. The realization of why he was still entertaining the idea that he'd be re-burying his powers wasn't a shock, though it was a revelation he had not consciously put together yet. He'd known only in the back of his mind, but now that he was facing the knowledge, he was certain. </p><p>"It's okay, Alec--" </p><p>"No it's fucking not." Alec growled, then ducked his head, breathing harshly, "Fuck, I should have realized..." </p><p>A sour twist went through Magnus's chest, and he frowned deeply, "Do you...When I rebury my powers, will how you feel about me change?" </p><p>Alec flinched, looking up with wide eyes, horrified, "No. No, of fucking course not, Magnus. But if I'd realized this sooner--I can't be something you hate yourself for!" </p><p>Of course Alec had picked up on that, when Magnus hadn't thought the words through. Magnus knew it wasn't something he could truthfully deny, either, though. "It's fine--" </p><p>"No, it's not!" Alec's grip on Magnus's hands was desperate to the point of trembling. "Why would you...why would you let me do this to you?" </p><p>"Because you're worth whatever comes next from it, Alexander." Magnus shrugged, "I liked having my powers back," he'd already admitted as much when they talked about Magnus burying his powers in the first place, so admitting it now was an easy thing, "but they're also a reminder of just how much they've cost. I've fallen in love with mortals before, Alec. Lost friends and lovers alike, and it's always painful. But without my powers...I carry a little less of that pain with me." </p><p>Alec let go of his hands, sucking in a ragged breath. "If--If I hadn't pursued you. Would you be giving up your powers?" </p><p>It was on the tip of Magnus's tongue to say no, but he had promised himself that he wouldn't lie to Alec about his powers the second he'd laid them out in the open, "I don't know." </p><p>Alec licked his lips, looking away, "I need...I need to go. I love you, Magnus. But--fuck, I can't believe--I'm sorry I've done this to you." </p><p>Magnus reached over, taking Alec's jaw in his hand and bringing his eyes up to meet Magnus's, "You have not done anything to me, Alexander. This was my choice, and I do not regret it." </p><p>Alec's brows crumpled, "How am I not supposed to regret it, Magnus? How am I supposed to be as blindly happy as I have been, when a part of you is already carrying my death with you? When a part of you...is in <i>pain</i>, or will be in pain, because of me?"</p><p>~</p><p>It was something that Magnus had only idly tried to look for previously. </p><p>He had never done well with losing those he loved, and the thought of losing Alec--even getting rid of his powers, Magnus knew there would be no running from the grief, no way to actually find a way to stop constantly carrying the knowledge that the world was a little lesser, because Alec Lightwood was no longer in it. His other loves, he'd managed to put into his box of mementos; managed to put away and move on. But Alec...he didn't feel, in any way, like any of the ones who'd come before him. </p><p>Something in Magnus knew that Alec would be coming back to him; kept him from panicking or fearing the worst. And when Alec had returned an hour later, apologizing and promising to try not to hold guilt for the choice that Magnus was making, Magnus had welcomed him back easily, promising in turn that he had made the right choice. </p><p>It wasn't fixed; it wasn't gone. And Alec's joy still glowed, but it also was tinged with the tarnish of finally coming to the realization that there was a ticking timebomb over their heads. </p><p>So Magnus began to look. </p><p>Giving a mortal immortality was not something that could be done; anyone who'd managed previously had, to a person, been ostracized and stripped of their magic. That had been by the Clave; but the knowledge that had led those warlocks to finding a way had been lost with them, and even if it hadn't been, Magnus did not want to offer Alec a fate he himself reviled for its losses. </p><p>So instead, Magnus looked for a way to turn an immortal mortal; the idea of growing old and grey with Alec, if he'd have him, one that Magnus had never considered before, but could not for the life of him shake.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter will be porn.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnus was something of a hedonist; always had the outlook that pleasure needed to be felt to its furthest extent when life was so capricious as to make it ephemeral. </p><p>What he had not taken into account, with the long tease and tantalization between them, was that when he finally did get to take Alec to bed, the wait made it somehow, impossibly, better than the best Magnus had even ever heard of. </p><p>The intimacies shared between them long before this one made it feel as if they knew exactly what the other would be driven crazy by. </p><p>Alec's flicker of tongue over Magnus's lip turned into Magnus sucking on that tongue. Magnus's thumbnail dragging down the line of Alec's spine spurred Alec's thigh to slot between Magnus's legs against the bedroom door as Alec slammed it closed by pressing Magnus against it. The dissolution of their kiss and the panting breaths they tried to drag in turned into Magnus's fingers in Alec's hair, and Alec's low growl as they <i>pulled</i> just so. </p><p>Magnus gave up on all ideas of getting properly undressed, his magic snapping and buzzing beneath his skin, and just snapped his fingers, leaving them both deliciously naked. </p><p>Alec startled only in the way that one would when you hadn't grown up steeped in magic and what it could do, his surprise turning to the kind of molten lust that had Magnus moaning again already. "I was looking forward to taking that off you properly." Alec growled, shifting his thigh into Magnus's grinding hips and grinning in vicious pride when Magnus's sounds became even more desperate and broken. </p><p>Magnus had been wearing a shirt of Alec's that he'd stolen during Alec's cold, and Magnus felt heat flow, heavy and heady, through him at the idea of Alec liking him in Alec's clothes as much as he liked wearing them. </p><p>The ground disappeared entirely from beneath Magnus's feet, and Alec twisted, carrying him to the bed with a single-minded intensity that made Magnus feel like he was burning from the inside out. "What do you want?" </p><p>Magnus mewled, Alec's mouth fastening just below his ear, where Magnus already had a hickey from the last bout of desperate making out they'd done, just two nights ago. There were many things Magnus wanted to do; wanted done. In the desperate but mostly-clothed rutting they'd sometimes fallen into, Magnus had gotten an idea for just how big Alec was; and thanked every deity Magnus could think of that the man was so damn <i>proportionate</i>. Getting his mouth on Alec's cock was high on Magnus's list, but kissing Alec was too much a temptation for that to be the easy answer. </p><p>"Should I tell you what I want?" Alec panted in Magnus's ear, the words dark and rumbling as Magnus continued to writhe beneath him, chasing the friction snapping up his spine from the contact of Alec's thigh and hip. Magnus managed, dazed, to nod emphatically, and Alec's slow smile sent a shiver through Magnus's every cell. </p><p>The sudden loss of the rest of Alec pressed against him was somewhat overshadowed by <i>Alec's</i> mouth on his dick, his huge hands pinning Magnus's hips to the mattress as the protest he was about to vocalize became a choked-off shout of pleasure. Wet heat and <i>suction</i> was enough to have Magnus's hips fighting to thrust, but when Magnus made the mistake of looking down at Alec's ridiculously beautiful mouth wrapped around him, it was as if the Magnus that could think in any way had had an anvil dropped on him. </p><p>Clutching at the sheets, Magnus's magic fizzed off of him, damage Magnus couldn't summon the wherewithal to care about being done to his apartment he was sure, but sparks skittering up Alec's hands and arms where he held Magnus down still, sending Alec moaning around his cock. </p><p>Pulling off with an obscene sound, Alec panted into the skin of Magnus's hip for a minute, shuddering as the sparks danced all the way over his shoulders and down his back. "Fuck me." Magnus panted; hopefully demanded, probably begged. </p><p>Alec looked up at Magnus over the length of his body, the hot weight of Alec's eyes, blown nearly-black with arousal, sending shudders through Magnus as if the trace of that gaze was a touch itself. "Lube?" </p><p>Magnus did not, and he was very well-aware of it, have the mental capacity at that moment to control his powers enough to prep himself magically. If he tried, more likely than not, the entire room would end up coated in lube, or something equally messy and just as horrible. </p><p>The teasing pinch of Alec's fingers on his side in demand of the answer was another point Magnus had forgotten in the haze of wanting to come: Alec's fingers were, quite often, the subject of Magnus's more desperate daydreams. Riding those fingers was something Magnus needed to do. </p><p>Magnus was ninety-eight percent sure <i>he</i> didn't conjure the bottle of lube that appeared beside his hip, but whether it was the actions of his sparking magic itself, or the loft and the lingering magic it had absorbed from him over the years; Magnus was grateful he did not need to summon the brain power to actually think about where the hell he'd put it last. </p><p>Alec caught it up immediately with one hand, and wrapped the other around Magnus's cock, giving a slow squeeze as he angled it so that he could flutter his tongue over Magnus's slit, sucking just the head between his lips before he let go of the hand around Magnus to fumble the lube open and get some onto those beautiful fingers. </p><p>There was babble pouring out of Magnus's mouth, he realized as Alec sucked the head just a bit harder, then slowly began sucking his way further down onto Magnus's cock. He hadn't told Alec that he was the son of the demon of lust; Alec had no idea he was fully capable of coming more times than a human could survive--but he was <i>begging</i> for Alec's fingers in him before Alec pushed him over the edge for the first time. He wanted to be riding Alec's cock when he came the first time, but it was more realistic for Magnus to aim lower. </p><p>Alec pulled off Magnus's cock giggling, and Magnus realized he'd said nearly-incoherent snippets of that out loud in his mess of babbling, but could only hum very happily when Alec leaned up to kiss Magnus slowly, urging one of Magnus's legs around his waist and teasing his fingertips along Magnus's hole while he did. </p><p>"Alexander..." Magnus growled as much as he could when Alec had kissed the breath from his lungs and he was closer to begging than he could get himself to growling. </p><p>Alec sucked Magnus's lower lip between his own, teasing his teeth back and forth along it as he rubbed one finger slowly against Magnus, slowly increasing pressure to tease the clench of Magnus loose. </p><p>It'd been a long time; but he'd also be hard-pressed to name another time he'd ever been so turned on by a lover as he was by Alec. With a sigh and a conscious effort of will, Magnus found himself relaxing against the intrusion of Alec's finger, and was rewarded for it with a treasuring kiss. </p><p>Alec was methodical, quickly deducing the best angle and urging Magnus's hips up to slide a pillow beneath them so that he could better drive first one finger, then two, in deep on that angle. </p><p>When Alec's mouth returned to his cock, Magnus wasn't sure he was capable of even the basest functions of living anymore; his prostate teased over one second, only for the pressure of Alec's mouth to surge the second that tease ended. </p><p>Tipping his hips back onto Alec's finger, Magnus found his own fingers clutched painfully in the sheets, the breath he was trying desperately to suck in somehow not making it to his lungs. </p><p>He came as Alec hummed a pleased sound around his cock, the head hitting the very back of his throat, and the fingers in his ass pressing deliberately and hard into his prostate. </p><p>Alec kept massaging those fingers in him, swallowing his cum then working slowly off his cock when Magnus's erection didn't abate. Alec looked up the length of Magnus's body again, pupils blown and lips swollen and bright red, chin smeared with spit and cum. Magnus summoned the presence of mind to begin rocking himself down on the fingers driving him mad, fucking himself on Alec's hand, and Alec let out a low growl, pulling his fingers away to Magnus's desperate cry of protest before he was spread over Magnus once more, licking into his mouth and urging Magnus into the switch of positions, re-lubing his fingers before he lowered his hand with a challenging glint in his eyes. </p><p>Magnus let out a desperate sound, managing only for the promise of the pleasure to get himself to summon the energy required to lift himself off of where he'd been pulled onto Alec's chest, positioning himself to sink slowly and tortuously onto those fingers. </p><p>He'd come, but Alec hadn't, and Alec's cock stood red against his pale skin, long and thick and leaking. Magnus licked his lips as he raised himself on Alec's fingers, then lowered himself once again. Alec was too big for two fingers to ever cut it, and the knowledge of that sent Magnus fluttering around Alec's fingers, a desperate whine slipping out of Alec's mouth in response. </p><p>"You can't touch my cock again." Magnus gasped out, "If you do that, you can make me come as many times as you want." </p><p>Alec's eyes flared with heat, his fingers twitching in Magnus for the first time since he'd coaxed Magnus into riding them, and Magnus let out a punched-out groan of pleasure, because Alec twitched them directly into his prostate. "How many times can you come?" </p><p>Magnus rolled his hips on Alec's hand once more, the burst of pleasure that brought dulled when Alec didn't let his fingertips skate anywhere near Magnus's prostate. "M-Most was six..." Magnus managed, and when Alec purred in response, he shuddered, Alec's fingers taking that opportunity to return to Magnus's prostate and press <i>in</i>, not letting him tip away from the pleasure and not letting up on the pressure as Magnus cried out in response. </p><p>Alec slid another finger in when Magnus was buzzing somewhere between having come and still being driven inextricably towards it, and Magnus couldn't help the sound of relief at the added stretch, the sensation taking away from the overwhelming pleasure just enough that Magnus felt like his next breath actually reached his system. </p><p>A slow circle of Alec's fingers around his prostate had Magnus shuddering once again, and when Alec urged him down over Alec's chest so that he could bite at one of Magnus's nipples, Magnus found himself clenching around Alec's fingers again in a shadow of another orgasm. </p><p>"You're so gorgeous, Magnus." Alec breathed, smoothing his free hand over Magnus's thigh, working his fingers in slow and inextricable thrusts in Magnus's ass, blooming pleasure sending sparks out of Magnus's hands as he braced himself. "Condom?" </p><p>"W-Warlocks--" Magnus let out a desperate cry, clutching Alec's shoulder when the movement of Alec's fingers <i>stopped</i>, "we...we can't get sick. Want you--want you to come in me." </p><p>Alec let out a low rumble, eyes bright with promise. Alec licked his lips, eyes skating over Magnus; the flush from ears to chest, the sheen of sweat on his skin, and the smears of cum and precum drooling from Magnus's cock. "One more finger--" </p><p>"No." Magnus gasped, reaching to cup a palm around the side of Alec's neck, "Wanna feel you..." </p><p>"If I hurt you, Magnus..." </p><p>"I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Just, please." Alec's fingers worked out of him, and when Magnus reached for the lube to slick Alec up, Alec smacked his hands away. </p><p>"Not gonna make it if you tease me right now, and we both know you would." Alec grumbled, and Magnus laughed, his whole body buzzing as Alec quickly and efficiently slicked himself, visibly calculating how to position them so that Alec could make sure he didn't actually hurt Magnus in giving him what he wanted. </p><p>Magnus laid himself down on the pillows, legs bent and spread in offer, and Alec's eyes skated over him again, his hands moving of their own accord to trace up Magnus's thighs to his hips, the strong grip easily moving Magnus how Alec wanted him. The head of Alec's cock teased over Magnus's hole, and Magnus mewled, the emptiness from Alec removing his fingers an ache that was only made worse by the tease. </p><p>If Magnus had the ability to think, he'd have been in awe that Alec managed such restraint in slowly working himself into the clutch of Magnus's ass. Every twitch and flutter of Magnus's muscles pressed Alec's cock harder against his prostate; Alec big enough that he didn't have to try to hit it. Magnus's pleasure went deeper than the sex, though: Alec had worked to keep them from only being this, and was willing to fight to keep them. That thought sent Magnus clenching hard on Alec, whining through another orgasm as Alec's breath punched out of his chest, his head ducking against Magnus's shoulder as he breathed through the rising tide of his own orgasm. The aftershocks of that orgasm sent Magnus fluttering around Alec, and with each one, another mini orgasm hit, until Magnus's whole body finally went limp, and he wasn't sure if he'd passed out from the pleasure or not. </p><p>When he met Alec's eyes, Alec ducked in to kiss him. "Keep going." Magnus urged, riding the knife's edge between oversensitivity and fucked-out relaxation. Alec withdrew only an inch, watching Magnus carefully. </p><p>Picking up a rhythm when Magnus landed on the fucked-out side of things, Alec buried his face in Magnus's neck, gasping out praise into his skin as Magnus's magic began to build around them again, and Magnus edged back towards the overwhelming pleasure. Fingers slipping, Magnus gripped the back of Alec's neck, demanding a kiss when he could tell they were both beginning to crest again. </p><p>This time, Magnus did pass out; blissfully and deliciously gone from the world, and only returning to the gentle kisses pressed along the line of his throat and over his shoulder. </p><p>Magnus's throat hurt, which told him he'd been screaming, and Alec's large, gentle hands pet over his aching muscles as they quivered. Magnus managed to summon the brain processes to magic them and the bed cleaned up enough to be getting on with, and Alec banded an arm around Magnus's waist, pulling him in to fit skin against skin now that they were no longer in danger of being glued together. "You okay?" </p><p>Magnus scoffed, "I am far, far better than okay, Alexander." A thought occurred, and Magnus went tense, which brought Alec out from where he'd nuzzled into Magnus's skin in contentment. "Though once we see what damage my magic did, I might be slightly less better than okay." </p><p>Alec sighed a laugh, "I didn't hear any major crashing." </p><p>"You could hear things?" Alec laughed outright at that, pressing loose kisses to the skin beneath his head. </p><p>"I...was a teenager whose parents did not understand the term "personal space". The number of times my bedroom door was just flung open with a half-assed apology five minutes later for not thinking to knock has trained me well." </p><p>Magnus hummed, tangling his fingers in Alec's hair and massaging his scalp. </p><p>"So...son of the demon of lust?" </p><p>Magnus groaned, "Yeah." </p><p>"Do you prefer bottoming?" Alec asked idly, and Magnus had not been expecting that line of inquiry. </p><p>"I...switch." Magnus sighed, "But your cock is a work of art." Alec shifted enough to look at Magnus, one eyebrow raised. "It's not like you don't know this, I'm sure." </p><p>"I switch, too. But I do have a question." Alec's fingers played along the line of Magnus's collarbone. Magnus hummed, letting his eyes drift closed for a moment and reveling in the slightly sore, syrupy fatigue, "When you top, can you come multiple times like you did...?" </p><p>"It's less coming multiple times, more...I have a lot of stamina, when I top?" Alec's look shifted to questioning, and Magnus brushed his fingertips along Alec's cheek. </p><p>"Still gonna keep me?" Alec asked a few minutes later, voice tinged with sleep that Magnus could feel brushing at his own eyelashes as well. </p><p>"For as long as you'll let me, Alexander."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With his head cradled in Alec's shoulder, Magnus relaxed back against the line of Alec's body spread beneath him on the couch; the position relatively new, but now used so much between them that it was familiar as breathing. </p><p>"Don't fall asleep," Alec admonished gently when Magnus's grip on his book began to waver, the weight of Alec's hand on his shoulder holding his own book shifting to set it aside. The scent of dinner had been filling Alec's apartment for hours now, and Magnus knew better than to protest not getting to snooze, because dinner would be too good to nap through. </p><p>Now that they'd started having sex, their dates tended to be closer to one or the other of their apartments, and Alec cooking was becoming a regular occurrence. Were it not for the sex, Magnus probably would have gained ten pounds in two weeks because of said cooking, so he appreciated Alec mostly waiting to really start until after Magnus had a very enjoyable way to burn off the food. </p><p>"You okay?" Alec asked gently, the huge expanse of his hand settling warm and soft on Magnus's side. </p><p>Magnus hummed, "Fine. But I was wondering...You and I spend almost every night together. When your lease is up, would you consider moving in with me?" </p><p>The practicality felt off for Magnus; he wanted Alec to move in with him because he adored spending time with him, as much as he could get. But for all Magnus knew how well he was loved, he couldn't shake the anxiety that he would come to be rejected. </p><p>Alec snorted, chuckling, and Magnus pulled back enough to look at him. Alec's fingers traced over his cheek, then threaded gently into his hair. </p><p>"I would love that, Magnus. But I'm laughing because I signed a new lease literally a month before I met you, so if you want to wait for it to run out, we're going to be waiting a while." Alec murmured, tracing his thumb over Magnus's lower lip. "Would you object to me looking for someone to sub-let to, so we don't have to wait for five years?" </p><p>Magnus shifted further, tilting his head in question at the length of the lease. Alec didn't hate this apartment, not at all, but it was small, and Alec tended to have a parade of his loved ones coming in and out often enough that there was more often than not someone sleeping on Alec's couch.</p><p>Alec shrugged, "I signed on for this place for five years because I wanted to start saving for a house. I figured if I locked myself in to this place, I'd keep better sight of what I wanted." </p><p>Magnus purred, leaning in to kiss Alec softly. "What do you want?" </p><p>"To be with you." Alec grinned, stealing another kiss and urging it longer and hotter, until they were both dizzy and only the whir of the oven was the reminder that they were not the only ones coming to dinner, and they could not have sex on the couch. </p><p>"But what did you want?" Magnus asked, shifting on Alec's chest and settling with his face tucked now in Alec's throat, their legs tangled together. </p><p>"Mom...she mentioned that she didn't think I was capable of having a relationship that lasted." Alec began, and Magnus traced his hand over Alec's arm until he found his hand and could knit their fingers together. "I never really thought that I'd...end up in love. Honestly, really in love. I--It sounds horrible, but before you, I never really tried to fall in love. You've seen my parents; you know how they are together." Alec had gone tense, and Magnus tried to exude comfort and calm. "Growing up, I never thought it was...healthy, the way my mom gave up everything for my dad. How much he used her. They look like they're in love--" </p><p>"They don't feel like it." Magnus murmured his agreement, and Alec squeezed him gently in thanks for voicing it, for agreeing to the assessment. </p><p>"I never wanted to try to fall in love, because...I didn't want to give myself up, or ever risk being the person that someone would give themselves up for." Alec swallowed heavily, "But I did always...I wanted to have the chance to have a family? To get to raise kids in a better environment than the one I was raised in. Most of the time, I figured that I would make due with being the fun uncle. Any attempts I've made at relationships..." </p><p>"You convinced yourself maybe you could settle, keep yourself safe, and adopt," Magnus supplied quietly. </p><p>"I...I don't <i>need</i> kids. For the first time, I'm in a relationship I'd actually like to be in and keep and I don't feel like either of us would end up like my parents've ended up, so I will take anything and everything you can give me. But, yeah...that's what I wanted." </p><p>Magnus emerged from Alec's throat to kiss him slowly, offering a small smile when they parted, "I never considered having kids...My--my father was a Greater Demon. Not exactly a good role model." </p><p>Alec shrugged, "I don't need it. But if you wanted to one day, you wouldn't be alone." </p><p>"I love you, Alexander." </p><p>"I love you, too." </p><p>As time ticked closer to dinner, Magnus and Alec consciously lessened the level of intimacy they were displaying, preparing for the invasion of other people, specifically Alec's siblings, and the snide comments they would, no doubt, be making about displays of affection. Clary and Simon would be coming as well, and Alec's mother. Magnus had become friends with each of them in their own rights save Maryse, who still viewed him as, at best, temporary: but, when Maryse had demanded a family dinner with her children, Magnus, Simon, and Clary had immediately informed the siblings they would be attending, too, if for nothing more than moral support and Magnus's wine collection for afters. </p><p>Alec had been surprised when the summons of the Lightwood siblings had included Jace, whom the Lightwoods had adopted as a teenager. As Magnus had understood it, it'd been something of a political move for Robert Lightwood, and neither of the Lightwood parents had bothered at all with Jace so long as he wasn't getting into trouble--which was only a slight change in pattern for them, when the trifling amount of attention they gave their actual children was usually disapproval for not living up to expectations. </p><p>When Magnus had told Alec very pointedly to choose his own apartment to host the night in, Alec had shot him a look, but agreed, only moderately suspicious that Magnus was volunteering to be trapped in a tiny apartment with Maryse. But Magnus had plans; Maryse's complaints about Alec's cooking would be well and truly dashed if she tried to voice them, and with a push of magic, Magnus had managed to make the apartment expand large enough that they would all fit comfortably, even if none of them but Alec and he would quite know how the hell they managed that, and Maryse would not be able to complain that Alec hadn't done well enough for himself surrounded by the home he had paid for and built for himself. </p><p>Offering his own apartment had been Magnus's first choice, but he figured Maryse would cancel entirely if he dared that much when he, Simon, and Clary had all already just invited themselves. </p><p>Alec flopped back on the couch once he'd set the last few pieces of dinner to start cooking, sprawling his long legs all the way over onto Magnus's lap on the other side of the couch and just grinning at the look Magnus threw him as he adjusted so that he could keep reading. "As much as I really fucking hate to say it, love," Alec murmured, and Magnus looked up, going minutely tense, "eyes." </p><p>Magnus's brows lifted, a surprised huff of breath escaping him as his glamour slammed back into place. </p><p>Alone, he had been letting the glamour drop; Alec lit up every time he did. But Magnus was more than a little shocked that he'd allowed himself to relax so much in Alec's apartment, where Alec's siblings could and usually did wash up on Alec's doorstep entirely unannounced and completely shameless about tempting fate in the act of just walking in. </p><p>Alec put on an exaggerated pout, leaning over the couch to kiss him, "Promise me that after this is all over, we're going to go into that room and not come up for air until Monday." </p><p>Magnus giggled, "You have a fairy-princess high tea birthday party on Sunday, and I have to help your brother find a ring for Clary, remember?"</p><p>Alec wrinkled his nose, groaning his protest as he threw himself back over to his side of the couch dramatically. Jace had asked Magnus if he knew anywhere that sold good antique jewelry for prices Jace might be able to actually afford, and Magnus had immediately agreed to helping Jace out. </p><p>"And even for me, <i>Monday</i> is pushing it. We'd have to work up to three full days in bed. Let's start with one. Week after next, Underhill's already staked out a claim for me so I have you for two days to myself. One for bed, one for recovery." </p><p>Alec was giggling outright as Jace and Clary pushed into his apartment with three bottles of alcohol and a side-dish that Magnus remembered Alec specifically telling Jace not to bring. </p><p>"That's his maniacal giggle." Clary gasped, pointing, "What could possibly be causing the maniacal giggle?" </p><p>"Nothing you want to know about." Jace answered very firmly. </p><p>Alec just smiled sweetly at them, "Oh, just Magnus taking care of me." </p><p>Jace let out a gagging sound as Clary laughed, "You two are cute!" </p><p>"I thought the deal was that you de-cuted when we were coming!" Isabelle whined, Simon tripping over the threshold behind her and nearly dropping the dessert in his arms. </p><p>"I never signed anything agreeing to that. Did you sign anything, Magnus?" </p><p>"Not to my knowledge, though your sister did try to ply me with tequila, so...maybe?" </p><p>Alec let out a huff, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat up and shifted over to sit next to Magnus as Isabelle angled so that he would either move or she would sit on his head, in true sibling form. "Now I do regret not living up to their dreams and becoming a lawyer: if I had, I'd be able to say with certainty if a contract entered into in a state of gross inebriation could be legally binding." </p><p>Jace and Isabelle let out snorts of laughter. "Speaking of gross inebriation, as significant others of the Lightwood siblings, do we all agree to saving the getting really drunk part of the evening until after the horrible bit is over?" Clary asked, pinning Magnus and Simon with an expectant gaze, one eyebrow raised somewhat imperiously. </p><p>"That is the plan." Magnus agreed easily, and Alec looked at him, surprised. </p><p>"Why are you doing this to yourselves?" Isabelle asked, the slant of the question telling Magnus that this was not the first time she'd asked it, but she'd yet to get a satisfactory answer. </p><p>"Masochism." Jace diagnosed, and laughed when Clary smacked him in the arm. </p><p>"When did you tell Mom dinner would be ready?" Isabelle asked, holding up a hand to stay further banter. </p><p>"Seven-thirty. She'll be here with Max for eight if she's on form." </p><p>~</p><p>Alec and Magnus cast their gazes around the collection of friends and family passed out in Alec's living room. Maryse was asleep with Isabelle on one side and Max on the other on one end of the couch; Jace and Simon were on the love seat, Clary passed out against Jace's knees where she sat on the floor. </p><p>The news that Maryse and Robert were getting a divorce had not surprised Alec really; there had been a flash, just for a moment, in Alec's eyes; of something dark and relieved. Magnus took his hand, and Alec glanced over, smiling softly. </p><p>They'd already tucked blankets around sleeping bodies, Maryse's half-unconscious thanks as Alec had smoothed a blanket over the three Lightwoods on the couch twisting Magnus's heart. </p><p>Hand-in-hand, Alec and Magnus walked into the bedroom, Alec palming the door closed softly so that Magnus could snap them both clean and into suitable sleepwear. Alec slid into bed, opening his arms for Magnus in silent demand, and letting out a relieved breath when Magnus settled into his arms. </p><p>"Thank you, Magnus." Alec breathed. </p><p>Magnus pressed his palm against Alec's beating heart, and Alec's answering smile told Magnus all he needed to know. </p><p>It wasn't just Clary he would be ring-shopping for with Jace.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was going to split this into two chapters due to sex so that those who do not want to read that could skip it, but I had also intended on a much bigger sex scene which just didn't happen, so instead I just split the sex part off within the chapter. This is your warning.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you sure you want to do this?" Magnus asked for the fifth time. </p><p>Alec sighed, skirting around the spell-circle to reach his husband, and very deliberately taking Magnus's jaw in his palms, urging him to meet Alec's gaze, "I love you. I married you. I don't want to ever be without you...and it's an honour, Magnus, that you don't want to be without me, either. So yes, I will tie my life to yours so that you can tie your death to mine. Yes, I am certain this is going to work--that we love each other more than enough to <i>make it</i> work. I have no doubt in my mind when it comes to you." </p><p>Alec didn't ask; had learned, in the five years they'd been married, that Magnus's doubts weren't on <i>him</i>--Magnus had been made to doubt about himself for long enough that even all these years together, Magnus still looked at Alec as if he couldn't quite believe that they were there. </p><p>Eloping, eschewing a grand ceremony entirely, so that they could get married with Magnus's eyes unglamoured, so that neither of them had to hide anything, had been the best wedding Magnus could picture, honestly. And the shock of their friends and family when they'd thrown a party and dropped the surprise that that party was, in fact, the wedding reception, had been somewhat priceless. </p><p>"This could--" </p><p>"I could outlive all of them anyway, are you kidding? I suffer no illusions that the only reason you and I look as good as we do eating my cooking is because of the hours and hours of wonderful and athletic sex. With Jace's habits, it's a wonder he hasn't accidentally stopped his heart from caffeine overdose. And Izzy getting into building her own robots only means she now owns and regularly operates a soldering iron and a blowtorch, neither of which you can honestly tell me aren't terrifying." Magnus was laughing, and Alec pulled him in, holding him tight. "This is could make my life much longer than theirs. Or I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and you'll die mysteriously of a broken heart." Magnus pinched Alec's hip, looking up at him. </p><p>Alec had laugh lines growing around his eyes and mouth; and Magnus was looking forward to the day when silver began to streak through Alec's beard, because he had never met a man more beautiful than his husband and could not wait to see Alec turn into a silver fox. "I love you, Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane." </p><p>"I love you, too, Magnus Lightwood-Bane." Alec answered, stealing a kiss. "Now, are you done having a minor panic? Are we ready to do this thing?" </p><p>Magnus sighed, nodding. </p><p>"So, you wouldn't tell me what kind of magic this is..." Alec started, casting his eyes around the familiar spellwork, brow furrowing, "This looks like what you put under our bed." </p><p>"It is." Magnus admitted. "The spell itself has nothing to do with the spell circle. But I wanted to make sure that any damage done is contained." </p><p>"Damage?" Alec asked, leaning against the edge of Magnus's desk as Magnus made yet another slow circle of what he'd drawn, checking over his work for the eighth time. </p><p>"The spell is a mix between blood and sex magic," Magnus blurted, flushing slightly. "I didn't want to do this in the bedroom because of the blood--" </p><p>Alec's eyes were eager, bright with promise, and Magnus felt a little bit better about the whole thing in the face of that look. "You...I am very excited for this." Alec told Magnus, reaching to start undoing buttons on his shirt. </p><p>"Alexander..." </p><p>"I <i>like</i> to drive you crazy enough to lose control of your magic; it's something of a challenge. But to know that you <i>expect</i> to lose control? Also hot." Magnus laughed, motioning for Alec to stop undoing buttons. Alec obeyed, but also had made it more than halfway down his chest and did not bother to hide that fact at all, leaning back further on the desk and letting his shirt gape open. "Why am I stopping from getting naked?" </p><p>"Because you seem to be forgetting the blood part of this." Magnus chuckled. Alec shrugged, thankfully unsqueamish, "You are still, technically, of Nephilim blood, love. And I am the son of a demon." </p><p>"Is it going to hurt you?" </p><p>"Stop focusing on me, for once in our lives?" Magnus huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes. </p><p>"You're ordering me to do that because you're more concerned about me than you are about you and you want me to be concerned with you. Turnabout is fair play, Magnus." Alec rejoined, and Magnus coughed a laugh, shaking his head fondly. "So, will this hurt you?" </p><p>"Not likely. But...there may be an effect, on my magic. I don't know if it will get stronger, if it will get weaker...Hell, there's a chance you could end up being able to wield it. Nephilim blood..." </p><p>"Gives strength." Alec finished, knowing just as well as Magnus did, "To fight against demons." </p><p>"My magic is stronger and more deeply tied to me because I am the direct son of a Greater Demon." Magnus recited what Alec already knew. </p><p>"But a Greater Demon was a fallen angel, so technically wouldn't that make you more Nephilim than me?" Alec asked, eyes narrowed. </p><p>"Therein lies a lot of the problem. If this were a bad TV show, we'd do this and my blood would somehow corrupt yours and you'd suddenly be evil." Alec threw his head back laughing. </p><p>"Yes, because <i>you</i> are the corrupting influence here. <i>I</i> am not the one who put you in eyeliner and glitter and blew you into accidentally causing a burrow-wide blackout for my birthday." </p><p>Magnus had to will himself out of the memory of just what they'd done <i>after</i> the blackout had effectively ended the party Jace and Izzy had thrown for their big brother. Jace was still suspicious of the timing of Alec and Magnus disappearing from the party minutes before the lights went out, but that it happened throughout Brooklyn had given them some small reprieve. </p><p>"Are <i>you</i> willing to do this? To chance your magic getting stronger or weaker or me somehow gaining access to it?" Alec asked. </p><p>"Yes." Magnus answered immediately, without any hint of doubt. </p><p>"Then what, exactly, do we do to do this thing?" </p><p>~</p><p>The athame was sharp enough that when Magnus passed it over his palm, he almost didn't feel the cut until the blood welled. It was little more than a papercut; just enough for some blood to come, and when Alec took the blade from Magnus's grip to cut his own palm, Magnus felt himself twist with anxiety that Alec would do real damage--which was exactly, Magnus realized, why Alec took the blade from him to do it himself. He knew Magnus wouldn't be able to actually pierce his skin. </p><p>Magnus spoke the words in Indonesian, Alec in English; and they clasped their bleeding palms together as they said the last word, both of them falling to their knees in the circle the second the blood met, weight settling honey-thick into the room with the suddenness of gravity on a boulder. Alec's cheeks flushed, his lips going red as Magnus watched his pupils dilate looking at him. Magnus knew he had to look much the same as his magic buzzed under his skin, urging him into completing the magic. His palm and Alec's were healed when they managed to slide their hands free of their own clinging grasp, and Alec yanked Magnus in, rolling as he did so that Magnus was on top of him where he lay back on the blanket and pillows they'd covered the spell circle with. Just outside the circle, a container of lube waited for them; brewed to be able to be used during sex-magic, and therefore organic but made with neutral ingredients that wouldn't affect the magic itself. </p><p>Magnus almost regretted not prepping beforehand, but they couldn't have even if they'd thought of it. Magnus slid his hand between Alec's legs, thankful that at least they'd both gone into this already naked, and when he pressed his fingertips into Alec's perineum, the desperate whine of a moan he got made Magnus's magic spark, dancing ecstatically out of him with how much it liked the building connection Magnus could already feel starting to form. </p><p>Alec reached for the lube and urged Magnus down into a kiss as he closed his fingers over the container, the kiss lush and languid as Magnus's magic <i>strummed</i> through the connection building between them, sparks of it vibrating over the bond to the point Magnus was honestly surprised there was no actual sound. Alec fumbled the lube open, and slicked his hand, evicting Magnus's from between his legs in order to wrap his palm around them both, swallowing the broken sound Magnus made at that. </p><p>There was next to no information on the actual mechanics of what the spell needed beyond the blood and sex of some form; and with the pressure of the magic gaining around them, Magnus was beginning to hope that this would be enough; the presence of the magic like an unwelcome addition, and Magnus was more than willing to get the magic part over with so that they could get to having sex that wouldn't feel nearly impossible with the oppressive weight of the power. </p><p>"You okay?" Alec breathed, and Magnus nodded, letting out a tiny cry as Alec slipped his thumbnail under the head of Magnus's cock on his next slow squeeze, the tight pull that followed shaking through Magnus on a tectonic level. </p><p>"Y-You?" Alec hummed the affirmative, using his free hand to tip Magnus's head to the side and attaching his lips to Magnus's throat, the vibrations of Magnus's next moan tingling over his mouth as Magnus fumbled to join his hand with Alec's in gripping them. </p><p>Magnus could not remember a time, even with Alec, when he'd ever come so fast or so hard from a handjob, but as they both crested and the magic finally broke over them like the suffocating humidity of a monsoon, Magnus felt his magic go wild within him; swept up and passing through him--through them, Magnus realized--like a dammed river breaking free. Alec arched against him, head thrown back as he shook against the new sensation of having magic, and Magnus took the opportunity to suck a hickey under the cut of Alec's jaw. The joyous and untameable rush of magic between them didn't really stop, and it felt akin to swimming in the waters above the Marianas Trench, this depth of power that Magnus found himself trembling at the cusp of. </p><p>Sparks danced from Alec's fingers as they panted, the temperature of the room finally dropped with the completion of the spell, enough so that they could breathe. The magic leaking from Alec cleaned them up, and Magnus coughed out a laugh, shaking his head, because the aplomb Alec took to everything would of course translate to wielding magic, too. </p><p>"I'm going to say that I'm lightheaded from the magic, because if I'm lightheaded from a handjob, I will have officially lost my dastardly name." Alec laughed, and Magnus snorted, collapsing beside Alec and curling into his side when Alec reflexively opened his arms for him to do so. "Please tell me magic does not always feel like that...that <i>heat</i>." </p><p>"No," Magnus assured, "no, that was the mixture of sex and blood magic. Different kinds have different...feelings attached. Blood magic is largely eschewed because of how dangerous it is; and it's largely dangerous, I'm beginning to think, because it's uncomfortable enough that no one wants to pass on what they've found for other warlocks to potentially die under the weight of it." Alec pulled away enough to look at Magnus, and Magnus knew he didn't have to explain to Alec that warlock magic was stronger when it was shared; the drain of it offset when there were others with some kind of magic involved, whether they were warlock or not. </p><p>Alec hummed, relaxing again, and Magnus snuggled in. "Bottle of water and meet you in the bedroom in three?" Alec asked, tracing fingertips over the definition of Magnus's arm. </p><p>"Why, Mr. Lightwood-Bane, are you trying to seduce me?" </p><p>"Oh, Mr. Lightwood-Bane: I'm not <i>trying</i>, I've succeeded." Alec purred, shifting and rolling so that he was draped beside Magnus, pulling him into a kiss that was all tongue and lust and tension. The bond flooded with a bone-deep <i>ache</i> of want, and Magnus caught a curl of amusement in the flavour of Alec's lips; a unfelt apology that Magnus was going to be experiencing a lot of lust from Alec's side of the bond echoing with the unnameable mix of impressions and sensations that wasn't quite reading minds so much as sharing thoughts. Magnus let unadulterated giddiness wash through him at the prospect, and Alec's surprise was edged just enough with joy that Magnus felt himself purr. </p><p>Magnus grinned unrepentantly at the smirk Alec wore when they broke apart, licking his lips and sucking in a deep breath before posing the challenge, "Race you."</p>
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